Watercycle



Feb. 25, 1958 M. P. BUDNEY EI'AL WATERCYCLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1955 l :Ir Il lr F ig.

A TTOR/VE Y Feb- 25, 1958 M. P. BUDNEY ETAL 2,824,539

WATERCYCLE l2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1955 F fg. 3

INVENTORS 7. wa. W mi WATERCYCLE Michael P. Budney, Berlin, Henry S. Bndney and Thaddeus W. Budney, Newington, and Matthew F. Saczawa,

Wethersfield, Conn., assignors to Atlantic Machine Tool Works, Inc., Newington, Conn.

Application June 9, 1955, Serial No. 514,266

1 Claim. (Cl. 11S-26) This invention relates to sportscraft and the like and more particularly to that used in connection with thev water such as, for example, a float including that powered by the rider for propelling the same over the surface of the water.

The invention is concerned specifically with av water-q` cycle forrecreational use by an individual on the'water 1 around resorts, `amusement -parks and the like for ,providingdesired exercise, rest, and relaxation, as well-as for vimproving the appetite and promoting the non-,hazardous exercise of the various parts of the human body.

Devices of this kind, although produced and in use for many years have been subject to criticism for numerous reasons including their bulk, instability, clumsiness, frailty, unseaworthiness, difficulty of operation andcontrol, as well as their physical appearance and for other` reasons.

.It is an object of the invention to providegan attrae'- tive, inexpensive, watercycle of relatively few parts, and

which can be readily produced and casilyassembled inf' and which can be easily operated by one without expevrience. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a watercycle in which the floats or pontoons, water wheeland cover are of laminated plastic which willnot absorb or 40 ly parallel relation by means of front and rear connecting be deteriorated by water to any appreciable extent as well as one in which thev paddle wheel is mounted nsuch a manner that it can move upwardly when coming in contact with sand 'or' other obstruction, thereby avoiding being damaged. -v

j Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in-conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention inuse; i

Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2 2 of showing the paddle wheel on a sand bar with the paddle wheel intermediate its top and bottom positions;

Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing the paddle wheel in its lowermost position in full line and showing its raised position in dotted outline;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a perspective of the rudder or steering blade;

Fig. 6, a side elevation of one of the floats or pontoons;

Fig. 7, a perspective of a guide for the steering post;

Fig. 8, a perspective of an end of the front connecting bar for the pontoons;

Fig. 9, a perspective of the rear connecting bar for the pontoon;

Fig. 10, a fragmentary side elevation of the crank and wheel shaft connection.

Briefly stated, the watercycle of the present invention comprises a pair of mating lloats, pontoons, or covered hollow surf boats, held in spaced substantially parallel relation by a pair of connecting braces or bars and with ka central hood forming housing or seat forming saddle in which is supported a transverse shaft with pedals on the 10 able covers.

extremities of the same. On this shaft and in this saddle is mounted a water wheel adapted to be rotated by the pedals. Y

The saddle, the pontoons, and the water wheel, are com- 5 posed of a laminated plastic, such as for example glass cloth applied layer by layer, brilliantly multicolored and not requiring painting for resistance to the dteteriorating action of `the weather and the water. The floats or pontoons are hollow bodies having tapered ends and remov- Also at their rear ends they have central Afins which tend to cause them to move in a straight line. The floats and covers may be of one-piece construction.

The pontoons are held spaced in substantially parallel t relation by means of front and rear cross bars located Y .l5 respectively near the front and rear end portions thereof,

,.the rear cross bar being preferably T-shaped in cross section for. strength. The saddle is mounted on the adjacent spacededges of thepontoonsand houses a water wheel including a'plurality of side disks and spaced radial 20 vanes around the margins thereof. k

The water wheel is provided on each side with a central brass bushing in which a substantially square shaft is disposed, such square shaft being supported in a pair of` spaced bushings, one on each side wall of the plastic 25 saddle...- On each (ofthe outer ends of the shaft is mounted a crank arm with arpedal and lsuch crank arms are supported in opposite Adirections so that the pedals will be diametrically spaced. `Rotation of the pedals will produce rotation of the water or paddle wheel to propel the '30 vehicle; ,Guiding of the vehicle is accomplished'by means t, of La laminated plastic rudder on a steering rod` orpost,` mounted-.in rodguides or bushings and with a handle bar atiuts upper end.-

-With continued reference to thedrawings, the watern e 35 cycle ofthe present invention comprises a pair of' mat- 1.1 ing floats, pontoons, or hollow surf boardsv 10 having covers 11. These floats or pontoons include fins 12 at their rear ends which tend to cause them to follow a straight line when they are moved endwise in the water.,`

The'pontoons or lloats are held in spaced substantialbraces 13 and 14 the latter being of substantially inverted T-shaped configuration. The braces 13 and 14V are secured to the lloats or pontoons by means of screws or other fasterners 15.

"The floats or pontoons are rigidly held as a single ufnit and centrally thereof is mounted a saddle forming upper and lower portions of the saddle and also disposed in a pair of rod guides 23 in which the steering rod or post is rotatable, a rudder 24 being mounted by bolts or rivets 25 in the lower end of the steering or post rod 20. A steering handle support 20A is securedto the upper end of the steering post 20 and limits downward movement of the post while permitting rotatory movement thereof.

The saddle forming hood or housing 16 is provided with right and left base ilanges 26 and 27 respectively attached to the pontoons by means of bolts, screws or other fastening elements 28. The saddle forming hood or housing thus provides a hollow body with its front and rear ends tapered upwardly and with its sides covered by means of an elongated top 29 of which the seat 17 is a part and which top porton can be used to support one or more passages in addition to the one supported on the seat 17.

This inverted receptacle formed by the saddle and its top is adapted to house a water wheel by means of which the device can be propelled, This water wheel'Y ce Pat-rented Feb. 25, 1958 e.,

3 Y comprises a pair of identical disks or round side plates 30 having a series of radially disposed tins 31 equally spaced around its periphery and provided with a pair of mounting bushings 32 heldin place by means of bolts or screw fasteners 33. Each bushingis provided with a central square opening 34 for a shaft 35- square in` cross section to prevent relative rotation.

The end portions of the shaft 35 extend through vertically disposed slots 36, 36 in the sides of the housing or hood 16, such slots being disposed in outwardly oiset portions of the side walls which provide an internal recess 39 in which rectangular shaped spacing platesV 38 are mounted, said plates 38 have slots 37, 37 registering with the slots 36 in the housing. On the outer ends of shaft 35 are cranks 40 with pedals 41 by means of which a person sitting on the seat 17y may operate the paddle wheel, suitable spacing and guarding disks 44 being provided between each crank and the offset portion of the housing 16. It will be noted that the paddle wheel may move up and downsince the shaft 35 carrying the paddle wheel may move vertically Vin theslots v36 andl 37 'where'- by the paddle wheel in use willnormally vhave its lower portion extending substantially below the bottom of the oats 10, 10. In the use of the watercycle in shallow water, the bottom extremity of thepaddle wheel may engage the bottom of the body of water or sand bar 45 thereby causing the paddleV wheel to move upwardly which upward motion can be felt through the pedals by the operator and the operator can then take the necessary precautions to avoid being grounded. The operatormay stop and back up` the watercycle or if the obstruction-'is a small sand bar or the like the' watercycle may run over the obstruction. notice of the danger involved. It will be lobse'rvedthat there is clearance between the top of the paddle wheel and the top of the housing 16 whereby the vertical-move-` ment of the paddle wheel can be accommodated as clearly shown in Fig. 3.`

It will benoted that steering rod or post 20 may slide vertically since there is spacing between the rudderV 24 and the flange portion of the housing 16, the downward movement of the steering rod being limited by the lower end of the steering handle support 20A at the top of the steering rod. Y

The arrangement whereby the paddle wheel may m'ove upwardly when the paddle wheel contacts the bottom of the body of water or any obstruction such as a logr or rock or the like results in safe passage of the waterc'ycle` since the operator will have immediate vnotice 'of 'the obstruction. The operator can take the necessary precautions such as changing course or'r'eversi'ng motion to prevent grounding and to prevent damage to the pontoons or the paddle wheel since the paddle wheel will move yieldably upward. The projection ofthe paddle wheel In any event the operator will4 have below the bottom of the pontoons results in more effective movement of the watercycle through the water whereby numerous advantages are obtained.

The floats or pontoons including their covers, the saddle, the water wheel and the rudder are composed of plastic in the form of layers or laminae of glass cloth, the laminae being united into a single wall or body structure 4and the bushings are preferably brass or stainless steel ``in order not to be attacked by the water and weather to whichV the device is subjected.A A

It will be apparent that the device is of slmple, yet substantial construction, is of attractive appearance and I vcan be readily operated by-a child or adult or one or 'more children` or adults.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the-invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the -drawing and described in the specification, but only as thereof, rudder means on the lower end of said steering Ashaft, means' onl the upper end of said shaft whereby it may be turned f'orrste'ering, said housing being provided withfinedially positioned vertically disposed slots, a shaft mounted in said slots, a'paddle wheel xedly mounted on said shaftin said housing and having its lower extremity normally Vpositioned below the bottom of the floats, said housing providing a space above the paddle wheel whereby said paddle wheel may move upwardly a distance corresponding to the length of said slots whereby the bottom ofthe paddle wheel may rise to the level of the bottom of the oats, said shaft supporting said paddle wheel' and extending through said slots to rotatably mount said paddle wheel in said housing, said paddle wheel being adapted forvertical movement, crank means on the end's of vsaid shaft whereby the paddle wheel may be rotate'clby a person sitting on said seat on the housing.

Referen'fes Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,389,729 Howland Nov. 27, 1945 2,646,765 BOles' July 28, 1953 2,712,139l Kelly Iuly 5, 1955 'OTHER 'REFERENCES `Popular Mechanics 'issue dated November 1948 (page 154, top). 

